By the Firelight
by Saphro9
Summary: This is my entry for /r/RWBY's February MonCon.


This is my entry for /r/Rwby's February MonCon. This contains spoilers all the way through Volume 3.

The crackling of the fire was almost as soothing as the warmth it provided, Ren thought as he leaned against a tree. Almost too soothing. He scowled at himself and pushed away from his resting place to begin a small circle around their little camp. He was supposed to keep watch for Grimm but there he was, almost falling asleep on his feet. The third watch was always the worst. When he woke Jaune up to take over there would be just enough time for Ren to get comfy on the cold ground before it was time to go.

His footsteps made slight crunches in the nearly fresh snow as he walked. Light snoring came from the campsite and Ren glanced between the trees to see that it was coming from Nora. He smiled warmly at the sight of Nora sprawled out on top of her sleeping bag. It had been a long time since she had slept peacefully.

It had been a long time since any of them had slept peacefully.

Ren finished his circuit of the camp and stepped up to the fire. Quietly he placed a few logs on top of the fire to keep it going. Thankfully the wind was not blowing hard on this night. Not only did it keep the cold weather from becoming a problem it also meant they would hear Grimm long before they were close. Their little group had encountered Grimm on a daily basis since setting out from Ruby's home on the island of Patch – but mostly just Beowolves. Their path to Haven had taken them near Vale and by extension, Beacon.

The last report they had heard from Qrow was that the Dragon was still frozen atop Beacon and Grimm were still pouring into the abandoned school in waves. Various flying Grimm were holed up in the Amity Colosseum, still floating nearby. Even the kingdom of Vale was surrounded by the creatures now. If it weren't for Atlas' airships, supplies in the kingdom would have vanished months ago. Times were hard for Vale and despair hung about the kingdom. All of that negativity meant that the closer they were to Vale the more Grimm would be nearby.

Qrow had set them on a curving path to the north of the kingdom and marked a meeting spot roughly a week's walk west of Beacon. He told them to wait a few days for him there before continuing onto Haven. Then he had left them, disappearing into the wilderness without telling them where he was going. Their path was far enough away from Beacon to avoid the mass of Grimm, but close enough to stay on a quick path to Haven. A quicker path would have been to take an airship, but they needed to remain undetected by the enemy. And that meant cross country traveling.

Ren's eyes snapped forward as Ruby began to groan in her sleep. She was having nightmares every night it seemed. Faintly he heard her whispering. It seemed that the girl was haunted by ghosts.

"Yang… no… Why?" Ren thought that Ruby looked so small when she had her nightmares. It was hard to remember that she was still just a kid, given her leadership skills. Though given recent events, Ren didn't think any of them were children anymore.

Jaune began to sit up from his sleeping bag. Deep bags were under his eyes.

"Can't sleep?" Ren asked softly.

Jaune shook his head then stifled a yawn. He gently climbed out from the sleeping bag and reached over to where his boots sat by the fire.

Ruby continued to talk in her sleep. "Have to hurry… have to stop… Pyrrah… Penny… Why, Mercury?"

"She's constantly reliving that night, isn't she?" Jaune finally spoke up. Ren didn't answer.

Jaune stared over at Ruby. Probably deciding if he should wake her, Ren thought. But Ruby soon stopped her mumbling and her breathing returned to an even beat.

"I hate this, Ren," Jaune said clasping his boots. "I hate being this close to Beacon and not being able to do anything about it."

Ren sighed, "You still want to go to back Beacon?"

Jaune nodded. He had made his case a few days earlier, about how they should go back to Beacon to recover some of their things. Ren knew what Jaune really wanted. Something of Pyrrah's to remember her by. Something to give to her parents if they came across them in Haven. Memories of a better time. Qrow had shot the idea down. Even he didn't feel that he could get into Beacon and remain unnoticed by the Grimm. If a Hunstman like Qrow couldn't sneak into the school, then the four of them would not stand a chance.

"I miss her so much," Jaune whispered, now sitting facing the fire with his arms wrapped around his knees. His eyes flashed in the firelight.

"I do too," Ren leaned against his tree again. He could still remember Jaune's single cry of despair when Qrow had told them that there was no sign of Pyrrah. They had spent days not knowing. The constant uncertainty and fear had been better than the truth. Hearing the story from Ruby had broken them. Broken Jaune most of all. There was no coming back from what Cinder had done.

The worst part was that there was no body to say goodbye too.

"I never got the chance to tell her how I felt," Jaune's voice cracked. "I never even knew for sure that she felt the same way until the end…"

Silence fell over the campsite, broken only by the crackling of the fire and Nora's light snores. Dimly Ren was aware of Ruby, now lying on her back, her eyes open to the stars. Silent tears streaked down the sides of her head.

"She kissed me."

Ren's attention snapped back to Jaune and his heart nearly broke at the empty look in his friend's eyes.

"Right there at the end I tried to stop her from going after Cinder and she just kissed me," Jaune was openly crying now. "Then she shoved me into a rocket-locker and launched me all the way to Vale. I ask myself why she felt she had to that. She could have come with me and she would still be here today, dammit!"

Jaune's fists were clenched as he drew his knees closer to his body.

"She would still be here if she had," he said again and choked out a sob.

Ren took a step forward, his hand reaching out for his friend. "Jaune, I -."

"But I know that Pyrrah couldn't have just run away like that," Jaune said, cutting Ren off. "Especially if she felt responsible for the Grimm being there. For killing Penny even though it wasn't her fault. The Pyrrah we knew would never have been able to live with herself if she'd let that monster that orchestrated everything get away. Even though she knew she would _die_ ," the word barely escaped Jaune's lips. "She had to at least try. She wouldn't back down from a challenge. That's the Pyrrah we loved."

Ren was aware that Nora had stopped snoring. She was sitting up from her sleeping bag, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Jaune didn't seem to notice and for the first time Ren wondered what he was seeing in the fire.

"And that's why we're going after Cinder. We're going to finish what Pyrrah started and stop that evil bitch!" Jaune said and pounded a clenched fist into the snow.

All of them were silent for a moment. Then Ruby jumped from her sleeping bag, tear filled eyes transforming into ones full of determination.

"I say we go to Beacon!" she exclaimed. "No matter how dangerous it might be!"

Jaune looked away from the fire, shocked. "Ruby, are you sure?"

"I think we should find something of Pyrrah's to bring to her parents," she said. "We might be able to find her weapons or… or something!" She paused for a moment. "I also want to find Penny's body and bury it," Tears filled her eyes again and began rolling down her face She stopped talking to hold back a sob.

Ren hadn't even thought that the metal girls body might still be in the Amity Colosseum. It made sense though, a metal body wouldn't decay like a human body would. And Grimm didn't eat metal. He remembered Ruby's story of Mercury stopping her from getting to the fight, to prevent the tragedy that launched the Grimm assault against Beacon. Ruby had never been given the chance to mourn her friend properly, just like Team JNPR hadn't been given the chance to mourn Pyrrah properly.

The camp was silent for a moment.

"I'm in," Nora said, pounding her fist into an open palm. Ren nodded his agreement.

Jaune jumped to his feet and began to roll up his sleeping bag, "We should leave now then. We might be able to reach Beacon by tomorrow night if we go now!"

Ruby looked surprised as Ren and Nora quickly started to roll up their sleeping bags as well.

Jaune walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's what Pyrrah would have wanted, I think. We can't leave a friend behind like that. Haven can wait."

Jaune turned his eyes southwest as everyone began clearing the campsite.

"We're not done at Beacon just yet."

When everyone was ready Ren kicked snow and dirt onto the fire, dousing the flames. Then as one the little team began the trek through darkness towards Beacon to find relics of their fallen friends. This would be just a small detour on their journey to Haven. On their journey for answers.

And off they went.


End file.
